Coupler and yoke connection



Patented Nov. 1933 AND. YOKE ONNECTIQN "Edward Lehinanj'Chicago; 'Ill. ,assign'or "to I W. H. Miner,Inc., Chicago, 111., acorporation i in: Delaware This inventionielates' to improvements-;'in

coupler and yoke connections; n

One object of the invention is to provide simple and efiicient means for connecting thecoupler and: yoke of j a' railway draft rigging, wherein ready attachment of the coupler is had by. means disposed having shouldered engagement with v the yoke to holdthe block against longitudinal displacement with respect to the yoke," having shouldered engagement; with the coupler butt-to limit outward movement'of the coupler 'withrespect to the yoke, and having locking engagement with theyoke-by, means ofztong'uef and; groove formations thereon to prevent accidental lateral displacement'of the-block with respect to'theyoke."

, Other objects of the invention will more clearly'fappear from the description andclaims hereinafter following. a 1

In the drawingfiforminga part of thi'sspeeification, Figure-1 is a side elevational view of a yokemember and aportion of the cooperating c'oup1er, illustrating my improvements in con nection therewith. Figure 2 is' a horizontal sectional' view, correspondingsubstantiallyto the line 2-2 of Figure 1. Figure 3is a transverse,

7 vertical sectional View; corresponding substan-v tially tothe 'line -3-3 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1', partly broken away, illustrating another embodiment of the-inven-- tion. And Figure 5 is a transverse, vertical sectional view, corresponding 'substantially' to the lines-5 0i Figure 4. I

-Referring first to the emb diment of the in-V vention illustrated in Figures 1', 2, and3, f the coupler is indicated by 10, the shank and butt portion thereof only being shown. The butt of the coupler, which isindicated by 11, has top and'bottom transverse shoulders 12-12. The

coupler 10 is connected to a yoke 13, which isof the vertical type, having top andbottom arms 14-14, a vertical rear end section 16, and con- -necting spaced side webs 17-17 at the for ward end. 7

In carrying out my Figures 1, 2, and 3, the lower arm 14 of the yoke is downwardly offset at the forward end, as in-- invention as illustrated in' Application October 29, 1931.] eams 5 71,8361 a-ols msfj (01.2134 j? dicated at 1a Immediately 'to the rear f the connecting webs 17-17, the offset sectionf18 of the arm 14 is providedwith a transverse-recess 19 forming a seat for alocking block A; Between the .webs 17-17, the upper surface of the bottom arm 14 is ;in horizontal. alignment with the. bot tom wall of the seat'l9. Th'e"seat 19,defi ned by there'cess'has tranv'erse front wall sections 20-20 and transverse rearwall sections 21-21, 6

Rearwardly oi the seat 19, the vbottom arm 14 of the 'yoke is inclined"upwardlyfas indicated at 22, said upwardly inclined portion being centrally recessed at the upper side, as indicated at23.

-'My improved making 551061; A, whioh'is 'e'm ployecl to connect the shouldered coupler butt to the yoke',is in the form of a relatively heavy plate having anupstanding transverse front wall or rib 2 4 and relatively short spaced sidewalls or ribs 25-25 extending rearwardly from said front wall; Theribs'or walls25-25 are spaced apart such -a distance as to accommodate the coupler buttmember'therebetween; and the front wall is of sucha' height as to have shouldered engagement with the lower shoulder 12 of the coupler butt. At the rear endg'the plate member A is provided with a rearwardly projecting tongue 26,; which extends into the recess '23, thereby locking the'block A against lateral disa placement with respect to the'yoke. The coupler but rests on the block A between the wa1ls25-25 thereof and has the upper shoulder 12thereof in shouldered engagement with a transverse abutment shoulder ;27 provided on the t op arm '14 of theyoke in vertical alignmentwith the inner race ofthe transverse wall'24 of the block A; f

Inassemblir'igthe parts, the coupler shank is 'entered'between the top and bottom yoke arm:

through the frontend oi the yokefa'nd moved rearwardly to thedotted line position indicated by 28 in Figure 1; The Shaina-$11242 the butt are thus disposed rearwardlypi theseat 19 of the lower arm'l l so that the block A; to-

gether with its rearw'ardly projecting tongue 26, will clear "the lower 'shoulde'r of the butt' of the coupler shank when the block is inserted later ally intothe, yoke. The block A is placed within the yoke above the seat 19 and dropped into a the same with the tongue 26 engaging within the seat 23. The coupler is then pulled'forwardly so that the coupler butt rests on the block A, and the draft gear is then placed within the yoke.

The draft gear will thus yieldingly maintain the,

coupler butt in its outermost position andin overlapping relation with the retainingblock A'. As-

will be evident, the coupler is movable inwardly with respect to the yoke to compress the shock absorbing mechanism, but is limited in its outward movement by engagement with the end wall 24 of the block A. Inasmuch as the block is in shouldered engagement with the yoke, outward movement of the block is prevented, and, when movement of the coupler is limited by shouldered engagement with the block, the'yoke' will be pulled outwardly with the coupler. .As will be evident, the coupler butt resting on the block -A prevents lateral displacement of the tongue 26 from the recess or seat 23.

Referring next to the embodiment of .the inis broadly of the same design as the yoke illustrated in Figure 1, and has top and bottom arms 114-1l4 connected by vertically disposedspaced side webs 117117 at the outer end of the yoke. The bottom arm of the yoke .is downwardly offset in, a manner similar to-the arm 14 of the yoke shown in Figure 1, said offset portion being designated by 118. The offset portion 118 is recessed 'rearwardly of the webs 11-7l17, thereby providing a transverse seat 119. The seat 119 has front and rear limiting walls 120 and 121.

The bottom wall of-the seat 119 is provided with a longitudinally extending central groove 122,

which cooperates with the locking block B in a manner hereinafter described.

The locking block B has a transversefront'wall 123 at the upper side thereoiwhich has shouldered engagement with the bottom shoulder 112 of the coupler butt 111. The upper arm 11g of the yoke-is provided with an abutment shoulder 12'? in alignment with the inner face of the wall 123, which shoulder has engagement with the upper shoulder 112 of the coupler butt. The retaining block B is provided with a bottom rib 130, which engages within the groove 122 and thereby holds the block B against accidental lateral displacementwith respect to the yoke.

The yoke and coupler shown, in Figures 4 and 5 are assembled ina manner similar to that hereinbefore described in connection with Figures 1, 2, and 3, the block B beinginsertedwithin the yoke while the coupler butt is disposed rearwardlyof-the recess or seat 119. The block is droppedinto theseat and the tongue 130 thereof engaged within the groove 122. When the draft gear has been assembled with the yoke, the

coupler will be yieldingly held in the position shown in Figure 4, with the butt member thereof resting on the locking block B, thereby holding the tongue 130 thereof engaged within the groove I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the sameis merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim: I 7 1. In a coupler and yoke connection, the come bination with'a coupler having a shouldered butt of a vertical yoke having top and bottom arms between which the coupler butt is disposed, said yoke also having side webs connecting the outer ends of said arms, said side webs embracing the coupler shank and butt, the bottom arm of said yoke having a seat rearwardly of said webs for receiving a locking block and holding the same againstmovement lengthwise of the yoke, said bottom arm of the yoke having upstanding, laterally spaced guide ribs rearwardly of said seat, said ribs having flat top guide surfaces for supporting the coupler butt; and a locking block disposed within said seat, said locking block having a transverse wall having shouldered engagevention illustrated in Figures 4 and .5, the yoke mentwith'the shouldered butt of the coupler to limit outward movement of the coupler with respect to the yoke, said block having a rearwardly extending tongue engaging between the ribs of said bottom armof the yoke to hold said block against accidental lateral displacement with respect to the yoke, the upper surface .ofsaid tongue bebing flush with the flat guide surfaces of .said r1 s.

2. 1 In a coupler and yoke connection, the combination with a couplerhaving a shouldered butt; of a yoke adaptedrto receive the butt end of a coupler shank; and alocking block having shouldered engagement Withthe yoke and coupler butt to limit outward movement of the, coupler with respect to the yoke, said block and yoke having interengaging means thereon of tongue and groove formationfor preventing accidental 'lateral displacement of the block with respect'to the yoke, said groove being defined by spaced longitudinal ribs, said ribs and tongue having topguide .L

surfaces supporting the coupler butt.

3. In a coupler and yoke connection, the combination with a coupler having a shouldered butt; ofa verticalyoke having top and bottom arms between which the coupler butt is disposed, l

said yoke also having spaced side webs connecting the outer ends of said arms and embracing the coupler shank, said bottom yoke arm having a transverse opening rearwardly of said webs providing ajseat for a locking block; and a locking block in said seat having shouldered engagement with the front wall of the seat to hold-said block against forward movement with respect to the yoke, said block having a longitudinally'extending, flat upper supporting surface for said coupler butt, a transversetopwall at the forward endin shoulderedengagement with thev coupler butt to limit outward movement of the coupler shank with respect to the yoke, and a rearwardly extendingcentral tongue having a fiat top sur face forming a continuation of said supporting surface, said'lower yoke arm having a pocket rearwardly of the seat-defined by'spaced side walls between which said, tongue engages to hold the block against lateral displacement with respect-to the yoke, said side walls having top surfaces flush with the supporting surfaces of said block and tongue.

. EDWARD H. LEHMAN. 

